Out Of The Cold
by Boo-82
Summary: "I wanted to thank you." "Why?" His voice was soft, even deeper than normal as Belle drew slow circles around his kneecap. The sensation made him shiver again but this time not from his damp clothes. "For putting up with the snowball fight." X-Mas fluff, written for ForzaOUAT as a Tumblr Rumbelle Secret Santa gift, from the prompt 'snowball fights and warming up'.
1. Snowball Fight

At Christmas I no more desire a rose

Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled mirth;

But like of each thing that in season grows.

_William Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost_

* * *

The ringing from the bells keeps screaming out love

As snow fell from heavens above

Directionless no more

Emptiness no more

Now I don't feel so all alone in the cold wondering where I'm going today

For a snowflake fell and it felt like a kiss

Now I'm okay

_James Allan, A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)_

* * *

**Out Of The Cold**

Chapter 1: Snowball Fight

* * *

He much preferred throwing balls of fire. Burning orbs that sizzled in his hand before they were being hurled at some poor, unfortunate soul.

The raw feeling of pure energy that roared up from the pit of his stomach and surged through his body, electrifying every fiber of his being until the licking flames flared up in the palm of his hand. His skin tingling softly underneath the faint air current, a feeling not unlike Belle lacing her fingers through his when she took his hand.

It was an entirely different sensation than he was experiencing at the moment, as he looked down in distaste on the lump of iced snow in his gloved hand. He silently thanked his fashion sense for never leaving home without the black accessories, but even then he felt the stinging cold seep through the sheepskin lining, ruining the leather in the process. Not to mention the state of his coat that now sported at least three patches of the white stuff where they had had hit him on several places between his shoulders and his waist. He believed the fourth had gone wide and had ended up somewhere in the snow covered rosebushes that lined the fence behind him.

Small favors.

The ball in his hand had not been created by him, but was rather unceremoniously dumped in his hand after the ambush had ended.

Belle had surprised him. He must give her that. When he'd closed the shop for the holidays he'd seen that the festively decorated library had already been covered in darkness but he hadn't given it much thought as he'd simply assumed that Belle had already gone to pick up their daughter at Emma's and gone home to make dinner.

Now the snowball was lying there, daring him to do something, anything with it.

He looked from the lump to the pair of eyes watching him with excitement and only the slightest hint of guilt. He'd had no other choice but to catch it or risk seeing the disappointment appear in those lovely, hazel eyes. He didn't want to disappoint her. It was one of his weaknesses and he had strong suspicions she knew this all to well. So, he'd taken the snowball. And wrinkled his nose as he sighed mentally.

He had never been fond of snow, not even as a youngster, when his father's shady position had presented the other children with the opportunity to take him in and pelt him with rocky snowballs every time they felt like it. His father had done little to prevent it.

Malcolm's business often had already had gotten him into trouble with the parents and he was in no position to stand up against the children. After all, this was the man who had named his new-born son Rumplestiltskin at the cruel instruction of a particularly angry thimblerig player that had claimed redress for a scam Malcolm had pulled on him. The threat of seeing all of his money taken had been pretty effective for Malcolm to succumb.

The knife on his throat could have had something to do with it too.

The white stuff reminded Rumplestiltskin of the bitter cold they suffered each winter in their shack beneath the town wall. He remembered all too well the cutting wind, as it would enter the cabin unhindered by the sagged wood of the thin partitions passing for the walls of their humble dwelling.

The only use the young boy could find for the snow was to plaster it against the partitions and by doing so insulate their shelter against the wintry gale. It had been one of the very few moments of triumph in his early youth when the poor paupers who inhabited the dog holes beneath the town wall and had stared hollow-eyed at his activities then had silently turned away and followed his example.

Two days later all the cabins beneath the town wall had been covered in snow. It had also been the winter when on the first day of the new year his father had left him to his own devices as usual and he'd found the small girl who lived next door, collapsed on the frozen street with matches strewn all around her in the snow. No star money for her. Not much later his father had taken him to live with the spinsters and had disappeared.

Considering his background he much favored the late spring and summer time of the year. That time of year when the roses at the fence bloomed and he would cut one, rid the stem from the sharp thorns and give it to Belle for her to wear in her beautiful hair. Currently the delicate boughs were almost completely buried underneath a layer of snow though. Only a few remaining rose hips dotted the virgin white with a dash of red.

Not until he'd had Bae he had come to experience what it was like to enjoy snowball fights as a playful pastime. It had been mostly him being hit though, as it was impossible for him to move around quickly with his fractured ankle. But it hadn't mattered. For his boy he had ignored the cold that stung his hands and he had actually felt proud every time the tiny orbs made by his son's small hands shattered against his arm or chest.

Just as with precious little Inna, his newest wee one and the light of his and Belle's lives. Compared to her happiness his coat and gloves were of minor importance.

As he looked down on the offensive ball of crystalized water in his hand the cold rose through his dress shoes and his feet and ankles started to stiffen.

"Rumple? Are you all right?"

He looked up to see the other culprit appear from behind the large Rhododendron shrub in the front garden. Brilliant blue eyes, a red beret on auburn curls and a pair of sturdy Australian Uggs on her feet that made her look even tinier than normal. Belle.

"We didn't mean to hurt you."

His lips automatically curled in a small smile at seeing the worry behind his wife's still playful gaze. She was such an attentive person. Which was one of the many reasons why he loved her so much.

* * *

_It had been a few months after Rumplestiltskin's decision to grant mercy on Robin Hood and the atmosphere in the Dark Castle had improved considerately._

_He hadn't still known what had compelled him to unlock the library for Belle but she had been completely taken with it. Every free moment she'd had since he'd shown her the turret room she spent reading some volume from the vast collection._

_To his surprise she didn't lock herself up in the library, but instead joined him in the dining hall, which apparently had become her favorite spot in the castle. Not only did she join him in the large hall but also sought him out when he sat at the spinning wheel._

_The first time she'd pulled a small stool next to him, sat down and opened a ridiculously large book, he'd frozen, looking at her in bewilderment as he tried to figure out what she was doing._

_Was there something she wanted, needed? Then why wouldn't she just be open about it so he could return to his spinning?_

_She simply sat there though, not half a meter from his left knee and read her book. It unnerved him to no end._

_His first impulse was to tell her to leave but somehow he couldn't bring himself to form the words on his lips as he watched the gold clad girl who didn't seem to notice his confusion at all. Or chose to ignore it as she bowed over her book, her blue eyes trained on the pages of splendid penmanship._

_His eyes flickered from his maid to the wool in his hand as he considered leaving the hall himself. He could go and continue working on the henbane potion but he found that not one muscle in his body began to make an effort to actually begin to stand up. It was as if Belle's mere presence next to him demanded he'd stay._

_Belle lifted a hand to turn the page with a slight rustling sound and the movement snapped Rumplestiltskin from his stupor._

_On its own accord his foot started working the pedal of the spinning wheel as his hand automatically continued feeding the wool to the orifice. His movements were stiff though, self-conscious and the gold thread that slowly circled into the basket wasn't as even as usual._

_The spot of gold in the corner of his eye constantly distracted him and he ducked his head to avoid looking at the uninvited company. But his curls falling in his face couldn't prevent his treacherous mind from replaying again the moment when she'd flung her arms around his neck in Sherwood Forest. Again he experienced the feeling of her head resting on his shoulder as his senses were overtaken by the sweet scent of her hair. Though Belle hadn't touched him since, the memory haunted him, becoming increasingly difficult to ignore when she was physically close to him. There was something about her that made him want to have her around constantly and at the same time have her as far away from him as possible._

_His growing fondness for her eventually overcame his fear though. Without her noticing, Rumplestiltskin started to support her cleaning with a little magic, so that she would finish earlier and seek him out in the dining hall where he would already be waiting for her most of the time._

_As he watched the wheel turn he decided that he was actually pleased with her silent presence next to him and that he should very well enjoy it while he could. Finally his shoulders relaxed and his lizard-like eyes became distant as he retreated to his place of blissful oblivion. He didn't notice when a satisfied smile passed over Belle's lips before she turned another page and continued reading._

_It took him another week to put the stool out for her next to his spinning wheel. When she'd noticed it she had responded by sending him a dazzling smile that startled him once again._

_Upon the arrival of first snow he had mustered enough courage to ask Belle to read to him. When he'd uttered the question he had hoped he hadn't sounded too hopeful, but she had said nothing of it._

_She had simply opened the book at the beginning and had started. And he had allowed himself to let her sweet voice carry him away as he automatically performed the routine to spin straw into gold, feeling more at peace than he'd felt in a long time._

* * *

Rumplestiltskin quirked up one eyebrow at Belle's question. Apparently going home just to make dinner hadn't been on his wife's thoughts and she smiled a little guiltily. His expressive brown eyes softened.

To Belle, the winter solstice feast that they called Christmas in this world was a magical time. As a daughter of landed gentry, she had enjoyed festive dinners, lots of presents decorated with shiny ribbons, a giant tree in her father's great hall and fireside stories by a roaring fire. She had learned that snow was for sledding from the gentle hillside slopes around the castle and building snowmen in the courtyard.

Even during the strained circumstances of war when her father had been forced to call upon the Dark One, the thick walls of the run down castle had protected her against the harshest aspects of winter, and she had never lost her love for the magical season.

"I'm fine, sweetheart, just wondering what to do with… this."

He was looking at the snowball in his hand with a look of particular distaste and Belle giggled softly.

"Well, you could start by throwing it," she now suggested teasingly, as if talking to a small child while she took in his passiveness with amusement. Her eyes, brilliant like a sheer blue sky, glistened and she placed her hands on her hips in an adorably challenging pose.

Rumplestiltskin's thoughts, before deciding on the proper reply, marveled at her beauty, admiring the way her auburn curls cascaded down her shoulders from beneath the beret. A short skirt made of supple wool flaring out from underneath her blue pea coat showed her shapely legs in black, thick tights. She was a vision as there ever was one and as such hardly something you'd pelt with snowballs.

"At you, you mean?" He quirked up one eyebrow.

"Well, that is the purpose of a snowball fight, Rumple. I think I can remember you having one before."

After all this time Belle still sometimes wondered if she would ever come to know all that he hid behind the depthless chocolate eyes she had come to love a long time ago. Not that she minded. She cherished the challenge it provided her with.

"More than I care for, sweetheart," he responded on a light tone that expertly veiled any bitterness behind his words. "But I seem to remember something about not throwing snowballs at ladies."

His dodging was rewarded with a sparkling of her eyes. "Who says I'm a lady?"

He smiled an amused smile. "I'm sorry, dearest, but you are. There's no denying your birth right."

Belle made a face but before she could respond to that a gentle tugging on his coat drew his attention to the other female in his small family he loved more than his life.

"We made a snowman, papa!"

Rumplestiltskin lowered his gaze and a wonderful smile lit up his features. His two year old daughter was looking up at him with an excited expression on her little face as the wind blew her lustrous curls around her. The slight copper glow of her hair complemented her hazel eyes in a beautiful way.

In response he neatly threw the snowball from one hand to another, bent down and wrapped his arm around his daughter's waist. She encircled his neck with her arms instantly and pressed a kiss on his cheek as he straightened up again with her on his arm.

Automatically he stepped back to check his balance, not seeing where the garden path stopped underneath the layer of snow. When he put down his left foot his ankle turned with a nasty crack that ripped through the weakened bone. In a reflex he shifted his weight to his cane and he clenched his jaw to keep himself from wincing. Even though his trip to Neverland had healed the limp Regina's curse had forced back on him, the ankle that had been fractured when he'd taken to the sledgehammer would always remain a tender spot in this world. Per force of habit he leaned heavier on his cane to lift his weight from his leg even though the pain he experienced right now was nothing in comparison with the screaming agony he'd endured over the self-inflicted fracture of his leg.

To have his daughter's small body resting against his chest though with absolute trust and devotion he would tolerate all the pain in the world and still be eternally grateful.

Luckily his two-year-old didn't feel him sway, as she was much too busy pointing at the admittedly beautiful snowman that now stood guard next to the veranda stairs. The structure was dressed up with coals for the eyes and buttons, a carrot for the nose and he recognized one of his old scarfs that had once been very expensive. As he didn't like to wear hats the snowman apparently had to make do with one of Belle's berets, a checkered one that clashed brilliantly with the purple and anthracite scarf.

"That is a beautiful snowman, Inna. Did you do that all by yourself?"

The little girl on his arm giggled and violently shook her head. He could feel her curls, soft like his own hair brush his cheek. Belle let the wee girl's hair grow long because, as she stated, she had the most beautiful hair she had ever seen. Even Henry, who had entered his grumpy teenage years, sometimes patted his little aunt on the head just to have a reason to touch the silky tresses.

"No papa," his daughter chided him in her light voice. "Mommy too! To surprise you."

He cast a look at Belle over his daughter's head. She smiled at him.

"I thought that in more than thirty years this front garden has never had a proper snowman. Back in the Dark Castle I had to take care of such things too."

This drew a smile formed to his chilled lips.

* * *

_They finished the book when the winter solstice feast arrived. The day before the holiday began Rumplestiltskin had allowed Belle to decorate the dining room with some seasonal wreaths and garlands._

_She had been excited to able to use some delicate glass balls dusted with silver and little specks of gold she'd found heaven knew where in the castle. They seemed old and valuable like so many things in the Dark Castle but they were few in number and fit in the small box she'd put on the table. Belle had been delighted with her discovery, and as soon as she was done with her cleaning duties (even sooner than normal, she failed to notice in her enthusiasm) she went out into the garden to select some greenery for the seasonal bouquets._

_If anything, his new maid was educated well in decorative art forms he'd noticed. Without consulting him she decorated mending work with elegant embroidery and she'd assembled all the vases she could find and put them to use in flower arrangements that were a feast for the eyes._

_Rumplestiltskin watched her as she went through the garden in her brocade cloak and picked holly, ivy, some pine branches with cones on them, red berries and poinsettias. He knew he should be working but he liked watching her as she went through the garden curious as to what flowers she would pick. He'd done so ever since he'd seen her going into the castle gardens the first time and he'd observed her actions with suspicion, wary of an attempted escape, and was astonished to discover her interest only went out to the late-flowering plants on a shaggy patch of land next to the kitchen._

_As he followed her movements around the snow-covered garden he noticed that she seemed reluctant to go inside quickly, despite the cold weather. She put down the basket, looked around then began to wipe together the snow she'd swept off the terrace this morning. A small smile appeared on his glittery features, as he understood what his silly maid was doing._

_She was building a snowman. Before he'd thought it over he stepped away from the window and closed his eyes._

* * *

"So, what is it with you pelting me with snowballs and then asking if I'm all right?" Rumplestiltskin mildly asked over his daughter's head as he lifted his eyebrows at his wife and Belle actually felt a little guilty.

She studied her husband, curious and a bit apprehensive about his next step now that she had so obviously surprised him. Rumplestiltskin was a man not easily surprised and if he were he would not simply let it pass.

"I suppose I can't hide behind the fact that it was your daughter's idea?" She tried with a sweet smile as she took in the two of them, her husband and daughter, in their wintry Storybrooke front garden, with a tender gaze.

The fog that had started to set in surrounded the pair with a somewhat mystical aura that had a strangely moving effect on her. The small girl in her flowered orange-red coat softened Rumplestiltskin's formal appearance, made him look less severe.

The first time she'd seen him like this back when she'd suddenly regained her memories while plodding after a strange man in the woods who'd said he'd protect her it had been quite a surprise.

The Rumplestiltskin she knew – she remembered was a man cursed, a man who had almost lost touch with himself after more than three hundred years of being the Dark One. The Rumplestiltskin she loved was an exuberantly dressed, flamboyant imp with scaly, grayish gold skin, long black nails, gold waffled curls and lizard-like eyes.

But the gentleman that had turned around with an expression of mix of disbelief, relief and gratitude in wide-set brown eyes when she'd called out his name couldn't have been more different. He was dressed more conservatively than ever before and he conducted himself in a quiet and deliberate manner. And it had intrigued her to no end.

Once it had been her wish to actually see the man underneath the curse and as she had looked up at him with tears brimming in her eyes and had seen the actual, warm brown color in his, she realized that whatever had happened that had brought them here, she had gotten her wish.

The cold winter wind now played gently with his brown half-long hair, greying at the sides, and his somewhat weathered but regular features lit up in a smile of utter devotion as his daughter's little hand came up and tugged at the ends, like she had a habit of doing. Inna tightened her arms around his neck and nestled her head in his shoulder. He whispered something to her to which she giggled and shook her head.

Belle knew she should feel sorry for Rumplestiltskin – half covered in snow, leaning heavily on his cane, his arms full of his two year old daughter and a snowball. But they made such an adorable picture as he cradled their daughter with such loving protectiveness that her heart melted at the sight.

Behind them the Queen Anne house rose from the snow-covered garden in all its salmon glory. The warm lights shining from the bay windows created broad, welcoming beams that lit up father and daughter in the glistening snow. Rumplestiltskin had managed to inconspicuously magic away the packages he'd been carrying upon his arrival home, lest that clever two-year-old realize that they might be the last of the presents for underneath the Christmas tree.

"Papa, will you throw the snowball?"

Rumpletiltskin's wee girl nestled her face on his shoulder as she pointed at the lump of snow she'd given him.

He playfully tossed the snowball up and down as if it were a baseball and gave his daughter a small smile though he didn't avert his almost predatory gaze from Belle.

"Of course I will. Mommy has better not turn around," he said on a light tone and the beauty's eyes widened.

* * *

_"Need some help with that?"_

_Belle let out a small yelp when she heard her master's playful high-pitched voice, just when she had been scooping up a massive amount of snow in her arms for the snowman's body. He had appeared before her, dressed warmly in his maroon cloak and studied her with an unreadable look in his lizard-like eyes._

_"Rumplestiltskin! You scared me." _

_At this he sent her a satisfied smile and she laughed warmly._

_"I'd love some help. If you don't mind…"_

_His smile turned benign. "I don't. I'm guessing you want this ridiculous load of snow up… there?"_

_An excited giggle rang through the gardens and before Belle knew it the snow in her arms was gone. Instead a perfectly round orb was placed upon the bigger one underneath._

_"That's unfair!" Belle protested. "You're using magic."_

_"Of course I am. You accepted my help. How exactly is that unfair?" His lips curled up in an amused smirk and Belle rolled her eyes at him._

_"The fun of building a snowman is to actually build the snowman by yourself, Rumplestiltskin. You're welcome to help me but we'll do it my way."_

_He inclined his head in mock politeness and heaved his hand in an elegant flourish._

_"We'll do as my housekeeper says," he murmured with a mischievous grin as he inwardly sighed. He wasn't fond of snow at all and here she had tricked him in scooping up arms full of the stinging cold stuff to do a ridiculous thing like making a snowman. It brought back memories of his son, of the times when he'd helped the boy building a snowman as ambitious as this one. And it hurt. Though it had also been the reason that he'd been drawn out of the castle, feeling oddly compelled to join Belle in her silly endeavor._

_And well, that she got him to play by her rules didn't mean he couldn't… bend the rules somewhat._

_As a secretive smile momentarily passed over his features he created a small force field around his hands so he wouldn't actually have to touch the snow and at the same time make sure the ball he created for the snowman's head was perfectly round. With an innocent smile he placed the head on the torso and pushed the coals she gave him into the snow where the eyes and buttons were supposed to be. He looked up when Belle gasped beside him._

_"Oh, I forgot the carrot. I'll be right back."_

_"Spare yourself the trouble, dearie, I can…" He began to stop her, not drawn by the prospect of waiting in the cold, but she just sent him a sweet smile and turned in a whirl of brocade cloak and auburn curls._

_Speechlessly, he watched as she disappeared around the corner and left him standing, next to that bloody snowman that for some reason looked rather bemused. _

_Narrowing his eyes he seriously considered going inside and leaving her in the snow. Nobody dared to run off on him like that but this girl wasn't like other people. She was brave and for reasons he didn't quite understand she'd started to grow on him. Perhaps it was because she treated him like he was any other human being, which he obviously was not and sent him smiles instead of glaring daggers at him._

_He sighed and tapped his foot in annoyance, wishing they just could get back inside and sit down by the fireside where she would read to him as he spun. It had become his favorite time of day when he would watch the wheel with the now familiar glow of the golden girl in the corner of his eye._

_He glared at the snowman and suddenly he knew what it was missing. _

_With a weary sigh he went to stand before the structure, reached up and used his finger to draw a smiling line in the snow._

* * *

His aim was impeccable. As soon as Rumplestiltskin raised his arm Belle had known the small snowball would find its mark. She tried fruitlessly to duck behind the Rhododendron again but was too late. The snowball hit her full on the back.

She whirled around laughingly but stumbled back in surprise when a second snowball shattered against her stomach and a third and fourth went full against her chest.

Now she did duck behind the Rhodondendron as she saw another snowball appear in her husband's gloved hand without him ducking to the ground to wipe together the snow he needed. A smirk had appeared on his lips as he waited for her to come out.

"Not fair!" Belle indignantly called from behind the Rhodondendron but with a laugh in her voice. "You're using magic! And don't say you're Rumplestiltskin because I happen to know that already!"

"Then you also know that I have a penchant for using magic when I deem it necessary, dearest," he replied pleasantly and waited for another moment until he realized that she wasn't going to emerge anytime soon and that he had to either come and get her or make the Rhododendron disappear. For different reasons he decided against both options, feeling that he couldn't ignore the pain in his ankle much longer.

With painstaking care he put his daughter down and then surprised the wee one as he unexpectedly splashed the snowball on her head. The girl let out an excited squeal and tried to get away as he rubbed the snow into her hair.

He laughed, his attention focused completely on his daughter. That turned out to be a capital mistake.

* * *

_When Belle returned from her quest for a carrot suitable to be the snowman's nose her eye caught Rumplestiltskin standing on his tiptoes before their snowman. The terrible Rumplestiltskin, the most feared wizard in the Enchanted Forest, was drawing a mouth on its face with such serious abandon that she automatically paused in her steps and her lips curled up in a tender smile at the sight._

_That was until he stepped back, impatiently tapped his foot and with a casual flick of his wrist gave the snowman not only a carrot for his nose but also a frilly cravat and an outrageous wide-brimmed hat with enormous feathers._

_Belle's smile fell as the purple smoke dissipated in the crisp air and her eyebrows knitted together. He had broken his promise not to use magic on the snowman. Probably out of boredom she guessed as she squatted down and started to wipe together heaps of snow at her feet._

_Couldn't even wait for her to return with a carrot. Well, if he didn't want to play by the rules, neither would she._

_Careful not to draw his attention, Belle formed a few snowballs and straightened up slowly._

_Rumplestiltskin had turned his back to her and his hood was down. His lustrous curls formed a perfect first target. Belle raised her arm and with a well-aimed shot released the snowball._

* * *

Belle slowly emerged from her hiding place behind the Rhododendron and inconspicuously took a few steps in her husband's direction. Her eyes followed his every movement, how he bent over their little girl, his features lighting up with real joy, the strands of soft brown hair falling in his eyes. Small clouds formed from his lips as he laughed and the cold had brought a rare blush to his high cheekbones. Despite her predatory approach, Belle felt that her heart involuntarily skipped a beat at the sight like it always did when he lowered his guard.

When Rumplestiltskin saw something move from the corner of his eye it was already too late. All at once Belle had popped up in front of him and pressed hands full of snow into his face and neck. He tried to duck away but his effort was in vain as there was no avoiding her. There was snow everywhere - in his eyes, in his hair and trickling down into the collar of his shirt down to his chest. He stepped backwards - and then his hurt ankle finally gave in.

His cane tumbled away uselessly into the snow as he lost his balance.

Belle's eyes widened and her hands shot out but there was no helping it. He fell.

The following moment he was lying in the snow, blinking to regain his focus as something crashed into him that knocked the breath out of him.

The first thing he noticed when the dizziness retreated was Belle's face very close to his own. He lifted his eyebrows in surprise when he understood that she must have grabbed the lapels of his coat and that he'd dragged her down with him.

Now she lay sprawled on top of him, her face mere inches from his. She had a dazed expression in her lovely eyes and her lips were still forming the "Oh!" she'd let out when she'd realized that he was going to fall under her hands.

His features softened and he lifted a hand that to trail her cold cheek with a gloved finger. That woke Belle from her stupor and her sweet face, dreamy under her dizziness, showed immediate distress.

"Rumple, oh no! Are you all right? I'm so sorry!"

Her lips touched his as she frantically tried to find out if she'd done him any harm, making his heart speed up underneath the comfortable weight of her body resting on his.

"I didn't mean to knock you over, I…"

Belle tried to sit up but stilled when he curled his hand behind her head. For a moment their gazes locked, then he gently pulled her towards him and pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. Immediately she melted against him as her eyes fluttered closed at the feeling of his lips on hers. She let out an involuntary sigh and he smiled against her mouth.

From the dark, misty night sky gentle snowflakes started to fall.

* * *

_'She's taking her sweet time', Rumplestiltskin thought impatiently as he stepped back and looked at his work on the snowman. How much time could it possibly take to go to the kitchen and come back with only one measly carrot?_

_He sighed and turned to cast another look in the direction where she'd disappeared when he was hit. Hard. Right in the face. In a reflex he jerked back his head as his breath was knocked out of him. He stumbled back at the sheer force of a loose snowball that had splashed against his cheekbone, somewhat below his eye._

_Somewhere he registered a triumphant laugh that suddenly stopped and a pair of footsteps rushing toward him through the snow. "Rumplestiltskin! Are you all right?"_

_There was water everywhere. Stinging his eye, dripping from his scaly skin, plastering his hair to his face. He grunted and his hands came up when suddenly a pair of small, gloved hands took a hold of his face. _

_He froze. _

_A batiste handkerchief came up and one hand still cupped his cheek as the other wiped the stricken area more gently than he could ever do himself. The touch was almost loving and he couldn't help but relaxing into it. _

_When he was finally able to open his eyes he stared directly in a pair of brilliant blue eyes looking up at him with guilt and worry._

_"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you in the face. You weren't supposed to turn around!"_

_Rumplestiltskin looked down on her in confusion. Apparently she'd caught him using magic on the snowman and she'd obviously wanted to get back at him. So why did she feel guilty for succeeding? Unless she was really concerned for him, which was a thought that confused him even more._

_He finally took her hands from his face, not prepared to acknowledge the regret he felt at doing that._

_"I'm fine, Belle. You've had your revenge. Can we go back inside now?"_

_In response she only looked him with such an intense probing gaze in her blue eyes that something stirred in the pit of his stomach. And he found he was unable to do anything else but stare back until she nodded and picked up her basket of greenery. She pulled up her hood and cast a look over her shoulder._

_"Are you co-?"_

_Her question was cut off harshly._

_Before Belle knew what happened a snowball hit her on the cheek and flew to pieces against her ivory skin. She stumbled back and as she gasped in surprise bits of ice immediately shot into her mouth. A violent coughing ripped her throat._

_Belle looked up when a slender, grayish gold hand with blackened nails appeared in her view and presented her with the handkerchief she'd just used on him._

_"Not fair!" She finally managed to call out hoarsely as she wiped the melting water from her cheek. Her indignation was met with a surprisingly gentle laugh and to her surprise his arm encircled her waist. It was the first time he'd touched her since they'd left her father's castle and Belle's heart leapt up. The next moment they were back in the dining room with the greenery she'd gone out for in the first place. He let his hand fall from her back and Belle was sure she felt his fingers trailing the smooth silk of her gown. But before she could lean into the touch he'd already dropped his hand and turned away._

_"I'm Rumplestiltskin, dearie. Nothing I do is fair," he then responded on a tone that sounded oddly regretful as he sat down at his spinning wheel. "Remember that and you will never be disappointed."_

* * *

Belle slowly opened her eyes and met with an incredibly dreamy gaze in huge pools of deep dark chocolate that would have made her collapse in his arms if she hadn't been already been floored with him. She smiled weakly as he tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"So, how was your day at work, dearest?" He asked casually as if they weren't lying in the snow with her sprawled on top of him.

Belle smiled wryly and put her gloved hands on either side of him to lift herself up when a light giggle echoed through the garden. They both lifted their heads.

"I think," Belle shook her head, "there's a little girl over at the snowman that is in severe danger of getting into a complete fit of laughter."

"Of course she would with parents as clumsy as she has," he replied and as Belle rolled off him he spread his arms for the little girl to jump into to join them in the snow.

Moments later Rumplestiltskin was back on his feet, his wife and daughter helping him to stand. A minuscule relief, as the snow had soaked his coat and had started to seep through his suit jacket as well. He winced again when Belle handed him his cane and she sent him a sharp look but refrained from commenting on it. Wiping the snow from the back of his coat she smiled.

"Come, you've had your revenge. Let's go inside."

* * *

_After putting away both of their cloaks Belle silently set to work on the garland and wreath she'd intended to create with the greenery she'd plucked in the garden, attaching cones and poinsettias to the greenery and finishing with the red berries._

_The glass decorations she'd found she dotted about in the gaps and finally, as darkness fell in, she was done with her hard work. All the while she had been working on the winter solstice decorations Rumplestiltskin had ignored her presence, only the whirl of the wheel betraying his presence._

_The atmosphere was dejected as if they hadn't just had fun building a snowman on the terrace below. Belle refused to let it get to her though and worked away on the wreath and garland._

_But when she was finally done and just started to wonder how she would get the decorations up he rose from his stool and without a word took the wreath to put it above the fireplace before helping with draping the garland over the mantelpiece._

_For a moment they both stared at the modest decorations._

_"I like the colors," he said finally. "And you did well with bringing out the glass ornaments."_

_Belle looked at him from the corner of her eye, saw his unreadable gaze and inclined her head._

_"Thank you."_

_He didn't acknowledge that. Instead he turned to look down on her with an odd mix of roguishness and severity._

_"Close your eyes," he ordered mildly and when Belle only arched her eyebrows he nodded encouragingly. "Go on."_

_For a moment he allowed himself to just look at her as she stood there with her eyes closed and her head slightly heaved, lovely in and out. Her dark eyelashes fluttered on her smooth cheeks that were tinged with a slight hint of pink and he had to contain himself not to reach out and touch the silky auburn curls that fell down her graceful shoulders. Even with her eyes closed she seemed to be completely focused on him while standing straight in her golden gown with her soft arms resting loosely by her sides._

_She was beautiful like the ladies portrayed on his tapestries even though her hands had become rough from the hard cleaning work and her dress had become grimy and threadbare, as it was completely unsuitable to be worn while doing chores._

_Over the past few months Rumplestiltskin had heard her mutter under her breath about the full skirt constantly being in the way and the high heels that turned her feet on the stairs. He'd been planning on surprising her with one early solstice gift but it didn't hurt to add another one._

_Nonchalantly he flicked his wrist, summoning the gift he'd been planning on giving her the following day._

_"All right. You can open them now."_

_#_

_The first thing Belle noticed was the beautifully decorated tree next to the show glass. It was at least four meters high and crowned with a star from which an elusive light shone. Garlands hung elegantly from the curtain coves, the large show glass and the several pedestals and a large winter solstice bouquet cheered up the large dining table. And delicate glass ornaments like the ones Belle had used in the garland and wreath sparkled amidst the pinecones and warm red poinsettias._

_The ornaments made soft, tinkling sounds that sometimes sounded like a melody but fell apart in subtle, haphazard tones the moment she focused on them._

_Belle's mouth dropped open as she turned around speechlessly to take in the magical scenery. The festive decoration was more beautiful than anything she'd ever seen in her life and that included the one time she'd attended a winter solstice ball held by the King with her father. And the most astonishing was, all of the decorations were based on the ones she'd just created._

_"I could have just conjured up something up but then the decorations would have lacked… a personal touch," Rumplestiltskin explained with a strangely contemplative tone and Belle looked at him from the corner of her eye._

_His eyes were focused on the tree and shone with contentment, which was something she'd never seen with him before._

_"The whole castle is decked," he added casting her a look from the corner of his eye as he gauged her reaction._

_"It's beautiful," Belle whispered, clearly not knowing where to look first as she let her eyes wander through the festively decorated dining hall._

_A pleased smile lit up his scaly features, but he didn't comment on her praise. Instead he surprised Belle by taking her hand and spinning her around with a flamboyant flourish._

_"And now, my dear, for your other gift," he giggled and for a moment Belle was disoriented, shaking her head to expel the dizziness. _

_Then she noticed it._

_The pain that had plagued her forefoot for weeks now had disappeared and all at once she felt light as a feather as her master twirled her around._

_Automatically her eyes were drawn downwards and to her astonishment she was no longer wearing the gold ball gown she'd come to hate over the past few months, but a much more comfortable dress made from glazed light blue linen that gently hugged her figure. The stiff corset was gone too and had been replaced by a practical, comfortable bodice that was laced-up at the front so she could reach it by herself without help. Underneath the dress she wore a soft batiste blouse with delicate lace trimmings and small puffed sleeves that felt like water to her skin and accented her porcelain skin._

_The biggest improvement however was the skirt, which was cut short above the ankles so she could walk around freely without worrying about tripping over the fabric. Her feet were shod in practical, silk shoes with low heels. She made a few movements that almost looked like dance steps as she looked down happily._

_Rhythmically Rumplestiltskin let his fingertips drum against each other as he inclined his head and made a small, satisfied sound. She seemed to like his gift. The dress had drawn his attention when he'd gone for a prowl in one of the deserted attic chambers some days ago and he had immediately decided that it would be perfect for Belle._

_She looked up and the expression of real gratitude in her brilliant blue eyes astonished him._

_"Thank you," she said sincerely, emphasizing each word. "It's perfect."_

_She inclined her head and for a moment it looked like she was going to hug him like she'd done in Sherwood Forest. He was annoyed to notice that he was actually leaning forward in anticipation and he straightened while giving a small cough. Instead he resigned himself to watching with impassive features as she twirled yet again, her face glowing with delight._

_"No matter," he dismissed her words with a small flourish. "It's merely in my own interest to make sure the maid can go about her work properly."_

_His words sounded feeble and not at all convincing to his own ears and Belle's lips curled up in a secretive smile, as if she knew something he didn't._

_"Well, I'm glad with your presents anyway, so thank you."_

_Lifting her hand she reached for his cheek and let her fingers trail the glittery skin as her blue eyes roamed his features._

_He didn't pull away. Instead his lips curled up in a hesitant smile. _

_Yes, this festive season was already better than it had been in the three hundred years before. And the holiday had yet to start._

* * *

**A/N: **_I wrote this little peek into a possible Rumbelle future for the amazing ForzaOUAT, from the prompt: 'snowball fight and warming up'._

_Rumbelle's little girl is based off of one of the three princesses in the fairytale Love For Three Oranges. Like Rapunzel she has beautiful long hair that she can let down for someone to climb in. Considering that Robert Carlyle's hair has become as popular as he himself I found it only appropriate that Mr. Gold's daughter's would have legendary locks as well. In the opera by Prokoviev the princess is called Ninette. Inna is an alternate version of that name._

_Many thanks to Delintthedarkone for being a wonderful beta!_


	2. Warming Up

**Out Of The Cold**

Chapter 2: Warming Up

* * *

It was with a small sigh that Rumplestiltskin stepped inside the comfortably warm house, stowing away his coat and shedding his suit jacket before limping into the living room.

He made way for his daughter who immediately rushed toward the Christmas tree in the bay window and went to sit on the ground beside it as she had done ever since they'd brought the tree into the house. She wasn't so much interested in the gifts underneath it as in the glass and silver ornaments that made soft, tinkling sounds that sometimes sounded like a melody but fell apart in subtle, haphazard tones whenever she focused on them. It was a joy to just watching the confused look on her face as she tried to recognize the delicate tones.

With a soft chuckle Belle went after her excited daughter to get her out of her coat and mittens as he watched the scene in contentment.

The whole atmosphere breathed peacefulness and comfort. After his return from Neverland years ago he'd been deeply pleased to find that Belle had taken up permanent residence in his house in his absence. Though he hadn't found out about that until after their rather… intense stopover at his shop.

And when he finally set foot inside his house again he had found that what had been a cross between a museum and a storehouse for his shop now had actually become livable and homey. While she hadn't changed much in the interior, she'd brought in warmth and coziness to the essentially charming house that he'd turned into a warehouse.

Before, the living room had especially been cluttered with all kinds of furniture and objects he didn't keep at the shop for some reason, but Belle had kept only his elegant sofas and armchairs, arranged around the walnut fireplace, and one cabinet. The rocking horse that had blocked the gangway to the dining room had disappeared. Instead, there were now two golden cane palms flanking the joining doors. And the picture frames that had remained now actually contained tasteful paintings.

He limped over to the tiled fireplace in which a cheerful fire was already cackling and put small parcels in the six stockings that hung from the Christmas decorated mantelpiece as Belle distracted their daughter.

They would be putting her to bed after they'd opened the first and only present of the day. Tomorrow, Bae and his family would come over for Christmas and he would relish in having them all together around the table. After his three hundred years of loneliness almost nothing could make him feel more content than being surrounded by his family.

On each of the stockings before him, for which he himself had spun and woven the fabric, Belle had embroidered a name in a typeface that suited the owner.

She had let him choose the typeface for her own stocking and he had chosen an elegant, curly one after seeing an old DVD of Henry's lying on the coffee table. The picture of the princess on the cover looked suspiciously like Belle in her golden gown back in the Enchanted Forest. Beauty and the Beast, he thought the film was called.

Belle had groaned when she'd seen the complex embellishments.

"Really, Rumple? You couldn't find something simpler?"

"No," he had responded simply and had cast her a mock threatening look that suggested she'd better stick with his choice. With a dramatic sigh she had complied. He favored her stocking above all.

Carefully he slid the small packages along with mandarin oranges in the stockings. Ever the librarian, Belle had actually arranged them in alphabetical order.

Bae came first. His son's stocking was embroidered with his name in sturdy letters on a background of flames. Though Bae had tried to hide it behind an amused smirk his son had actually been quite enamored with it.

Then came Belle herself. Her stocking featured her name in gold thread and with a single rose stuck through the elegant B. He lingered there, making sure to first put in the small additional gift he'd kept at the shop for weeks beside the family gifts they'd decided on together. He would give it to her tonight so she could wear it tomorrow.

Emma's stocking followed Belle's. For her Belle had used a simple, straightforward typeface and her name rested on an elegant white swan wearing a small, golden crown. The rim was also embroidered with a row of endearing ducklings. As always Rumplestiltskin's daughter-in-law had been baffled by the token of appreciation but she'd accepted it with gratitude.

Henry, his teenage grandson, was next in line. Belle had bestowed on him a princely typeface and his name was underlined with a sword.

About a week ago, Henry's pubescent embarrassment about his childhood dreams had him note that it was childish and that he found his father's flames much cooler. Inna however had effectively silenced him when she'd looked up at him with tears in her hazel eyes – her irises huge like her father's – and had asked if he didn't want to protect her play castle anymore.

Henry had actually blanched at her deeply distraught expression and his retreat had been faster than the speed of light.

"Of course, In," the teenager had reassured her as he pulled her on his lap. "I'm sorry!"

"And this, my fellow witnesses, is how it's done." Bae had shaken his head as he watched the pair. "This is how you women keep us exactly where you want us."

It had drawn an amused smirk to Rumplestiltskin's lips. He'd ordered the play castle with Gepetto upon his daughter's birth as an exact replica of the Dark Castle back in the Enchanted Forest. It was by far her favorite toy and she spent many hours per week playing with it.

"Hm." Emma hadn't been convinced. "Perhaps it's time she learns how to protect the castle by herself."

In response Rumplestiltskin had cast her an enigmatic look. "Don't worry about that, Emma. She most certainly will. Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I have a daughter to put to bed."

His son and daughter-in-law had stared after him as he'd walked over to Belle who was plucking the tired toddler from the arms of a slightly panicked Henry.

After this, Rumplestiltskin was sure his grandson wouldn't dare to be sullen about his stocking again.

'The joys of being a teenager,' he thought amusedly and moved to Inna's stocking, which was the latest edition to the collection. Their little sunbeam, who brought them so much joy. She was a delicate little girl with such an extraordinarily captivating and cheerful personality that the whole of Storybrooke had taken her to their hearts. He knew there were people in town who openly wondered how it could be that Mr. Gold, the former Dark One, could be the father of such a bright ray of sunshine but no one could deny the love that radiated from the both of them as he carried her through Main Street with Belle at his side.

Carefully he placed the small present and a mandarin orange in Inna's stocking. Knowing that the little girl would go looking for the mandarin first he placed it on top of the present.

The stocking was embroidered in a lovely, cheerful typeface decorated with oranges the color of her beautiful, gold copper hair and white orange blossoms that bloomed from the letters themselves. It was a testimony of Belle's love for their daughter and his eyes softened each time his gaze came to rest on it.

His own stocking was the last one in the row of six. Belle had actually turned the R's uppercase in a spinning wheel from which the rest of his name in goldthread was spun in an elegant typeface with Gothic undertones. The lowercase stroke encased his entire name to emphasize the effect of the spun word. What he loved most about the image though was the chipped cup dangling from the N's upstroke.

He put the last gift in his own stocking when he heard a soft sound next to him.

Looking down he saw that Inna had left her place next to the Christmas tree and was now watching him with a serious expression in her hazel eyes. Her thumb stuck in her mouth as she clutched the rumpled Disney Cars bib that was her cuddly toy of choice. It was a gift from Baelfire who had found it necessary to start nurturing a love for cars with his little sister at an early age.

"What are you doing, papa?"

The question sounded a bit muffled by her thumb and as Rumplestiltskin looked down on her he actually felt a bit caught by the curious two-year-old.

He cast a mock denunciative look in Belle's direction but found that she had ducked underneath the Christmas tree to select three gifts for them to open. Which was why she had failed to notice her daughter escaping her parental control.

Discreetly lowering his hand he decided that the best way to go about this was to distract his daughter. With an elegant flourish of his arm swept up the small girl and as she let out an excited squeal he turned away from the mantelpiece.

"Oh, look, Mommy has picked presents for us. Shall we go and see what Santa has put under the Christmas tree for you?"

She nodded wordlessly clutching the collar of his shirt and unwittingly some of his hair with her small hand as the moist bib, soaked with her saliva, rested against the back of his neck.

Slowly, he maneuvered between the sofas and sat down at the one closest to the tree, stretching out his hurt ankle as Inna climbed over him to jump into her mother's waiting arms.

* * *

Half an hour and three presents later Belle and Rumplestiltskin's little girl was so tired she almost fell asleep while playing with the new wooden figurines for her castle. She had been absolutely delighted with the princess wearing a dress painted in vague gold tones and long auburn hair, but the other figurine, of a greenish imp with long golden curls, seemed to fascinate her to no end. She even forgot her Cars bib as she studied the enigmatic figure and let him walk on the hearthrug, while Rumplestiltskin gave him a giggly, high-pitched voice.

Through her eyelashes Belle had watched her husband playing with their daughter. Yes, Gepetto had showed extraordinary craftsmanship with capturing the essence of Rumplestiltskin in the wooden figurine. It seemed a curious gift for a two year old girl, but she needed to be prepared.

"I like him better than the fool," Inna had finally declared and Rumplestiltskin grimaced over her head at his wife who smirked back deviously. Inna finally yawned.

Now, he closed the book of fairy tales and Belle leaned over her daughter to press a kiss to her daughter's forehead as she stroked the girl's hair that lay sprawled like a halo around her pale features.

The little girl let her tired gaze wander between her parents and stretched out her small hand to her father to get him to give her a good-night kiss too. She giggled when his bangs brushed her cheeks as he bent over and kissed her goodnight. The princess and the imp now figured among the knight and farmers, goose girls and ladies-in-waiting in her play castle. She had named the princess Belle, after her mother, whose name she'd learned a few weeks ago.

"And have you already thought of a name for the imp, In?"

Sleepily she nodded and murmured, "Rumpelestíjeles, just like the book."

She was already in the land of Nod when her parents left the room, turning around in the doorway for a last look.

A happy smile had formed on Rumplestiltskin's lips as he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist and for a moment she leaned into him.

"Rumpelestíjeles," she whisperingly repeated their daughter's words and he quirked up his eyebrows.

"I didn't know she was learning Spanish now," he whispered back before he pressed a kiss to her temple and closed the door behind them.

* * *

Back in the living room he sat down on the sofa closest to the fireside and though he tried to be inconspicuous about it, Belle noticed that he closed his eyes for a moment when he stretched his leg. He even seemed to shiver, something she rarely saw him doing as the man emanated enough body heat for a whole regiment and she noticed the dark spot of moist on his back. A worried frown appeared on her sweet features.

Something seemed to be wrong with his once fractured but magically healed ankle. The snowball fight clearly had drawn a bill on him.

Belle bit her lip, knowing she had to be careful about this and approached him from where she'd lingered in the doorway.

#

Rumplestiltskin cast a distracted look at the joining doors to the dining room as he bit away the pain in his leg. He suspected that his ankle had been weakened already after a day of standing in the shop his ankle but he'd be dammed if he would let that stop him from playing with his wife and child. At the moment though he seriously considered sending a thread of magic into the cursed leg to numb the pain. All he wanted now was to sit on the sofa in the warm atmosphere of their living room and watch the cheerful fire in the hearth with Belle at his side.

His heart made a little leap when two small hands landed on his shoulders and Belle's voice sounded teasingly in his ear.

"You're not thinking about that rocking horse again, aren't you?"

A smile appeared on his lips as he closed his eyes. "No, but now that you mention it…"

"Oh, I didn't!"

"… I think Inna's room is the perfect destination for it," he replied half in jest but the pain in his leg prevented it from sounding convincing.

With a small sigh Belle rounded the sofa and went down on her knees. Swiftly and decisively, her fingers started to unlace his shoes. She let out a startled gasp when his swollen foot was revealed.

"Rumple, your ankle!"

He sighed wearily. "I turned it when I accidentally stepped off the garden path. Don't worry about it, Belle. It's just a little tender."

She cupped his slender foot, small for a man, as she examined the damage. Underneath the swelling the ankle was still a bit oddly positioned after being dislocated and healed by force of magic.

A series of nasty electrical stings passed over the otherwise numb skin when Belle let her forefinger run across the back of his foot and he clenched his jaw. Of course she noticed.

"Your foot is stone-cold," she replied without commenting on his words as she continued examining it. Besides his ankle being swollen his calf muscles had stiffened from the strain to counterbalance the sprained muscles.

He nodded and said with a light, somewhat husky tone of voice he always used when being cautious, "Bad circulation."

Belle shot him a dark look as she carefully placed his foot on the antique footrest next to the coffee table. Then she disappeared into the kitchen and a moment later returned with an ice pack and a tea towel.

Carefully she put the ice pack on his ankle then, with a movement that admitted no contradiction, she hitched his trouser leg up to his knee. As with all of his body his leg was only slightly haired. The magical healing of his limp had removed the pale scar that had remained after the sledgehammer had cracked his bone hundreds of years ago.

Carefully Belle began to knead the tense calf muscles as a worried frown knitted her eyebrows together.

"Belle…" He started when a small, pained sound, almost a whimper, escaped him.

"Shush," she warned him emphatically while continuing to attend to his poor leg. "Just close your eyes and try to relax."

The stinging pain had tired him to the point that he simply didn't have it in him to fight her on this so he sighed and did as she said. He leaned backwards in the back of the sofa, closed his eyes and gave in to the feeling of her hands massaging the cramped leg up to his knee. Having done this many times when he was still suffering from the limp she knew exactly where to place her hands and how much pressure to apply for his muscles he had pushed to the limit to finally slacken. A blissful feeling came over him as the burning pain was being replaced by a merciful numbness.

He didn't notice when he started to doze off in the glow of the fire in the grate.

"I wanted to thank you."

His eyes flew open when Belle's soft voice broke the silence and he lowered his head to look at his wife.

She was still bowed over his leg, but she had stopped kneading the sensitive flesh. Instead she was absentmindedly trailing up and down his shin with her fingers. Her dark curls prevented him from seeing her face.

"Why?"

His voice was soft, even deeper than normal, as his eyes automatically followed the pattern her fingers drew on his leg. It felt good and he hoped she wouldn't stop just yet.

"For putting up with the snowball fight. I know you don't like it and now you've even sprained your ankle because of it."

His heart melted.

"Isn't that what a father does?" He inquired gently as Belle drew slow circles around his kneecap. The sensation made him shiver again but this time not from his damp clothes.

"Nonetheless, I'm glad that you did."

She looked up and held his gaze for a long moment with those stunning blue eyes of hers as her fingers passed the natural border that was his knee and travelled further north along the inside of his thigh.

His eyes widened at the unexpected move but she kept her expression even as she let her fingers wander up the fabric of his trousers. He drew in a shallow breath when she stopped and he wasn't sure if he imagined the feeling of her fingertips brushing him through the thin wool of his trousers but even the hint of the suggestion made him respond as she thrummed on the inside of his leg. All of a sudden he was on fire.

He barely registered when Belle's gentle voice broke the silence.

"I noticed that your shirt is soaked," she murmured as she moved her fingers a little higher and now she was surely touching him over the tightened fabric of his trousers. Her fingers grazed his confined length, exploring its hardness with feather light touches, as her thumb slid down between his legs. He couldn't help but moving closer to her as he bit back a moan.

"My coat isn't waterproof, sweetheart," he replied a little breathlessly and she nodded regretfully.

He was unpleasantly surprised when she suddenly withdrew her hand and stood up. She gazed down on him with a serious expression and he looked back at her in confusion, instantly mourning the absence of her hand on him.

"Then it's time to get you out of these wet clothes, Rumple. Before you get sick," she told him and to his surprise she took up residence on his lap, straddling him on both sides as she reached out.

First her nimble fingers loosened his tie then swiftly pulled it from underneath the collar and lay it on the back of the sofa. The buttons were next.

Her eyes never strayed from his as she pushed the buttons through the buttonholes with slow, deliberate movements. With each button she freed his shirt revealed more of the smooth skin underneath as she worked her way down to the leather belt. Sometimes her fingertips would accidentally graze the warm skin of his chest and each time that happened his breathing hitched.

His stare intensified when she reached his abdomen and after a moment in which they just looked at each other she reached out and with slow movements loosened the belt before pulling his shirt from his trousers.

"I can do it myself, you know," he broke the silence and now there was a distinct hoarse quality to his voice that sent Belle's heart in a frenzy.

Looking up at him she stopped but didn't let go of the shirt. Instead she stretched out one finger to casually caress the soft, smooth skin of his side and said with thickening accent, "I'm your wife. I want to take care of you. Humor me."

He swallowed and an odd little sound escaped from his slightly opened mouth as he slowly leaned in to give her room to remove the shirt.

#

Biting her lip Belle lifted her hands and let them slide down his shoulders and upper arms to remove the damp shirt. Suddenly she was very aware of the way he felt under hands as she deliberately let them brush his skin on their way down. The shirt slid down his upper arms, past his slight ribs and toward his waist to reveal the beginning of a middle-aged spread he resented but she secretly found quite charming. By the time her hands reached his lower abdomen his breathing came in irregular intervals and Belle smirked, feeling proud, as she marveled at the touch of his skin under her hands.

It was normal for him to be exceptionally warm under her touch and this time was no different. With the damp shirt almost removed and the fire cackling in the hearth Belle's fingers warmed up as they trailed down his upper body, still holding onto the shirt that provided her with a poor excuse to touch him.

When she'd almost reached his belt she gave in to her longing and leaning in even closer, she brought her face next to his bare shoulder and breathed in the scent of his skin mixed with his cologne. The sensation made her fingers tremble and before she knew it her lips brushed his shoulder in a gentle, lingering kiss.

Again he shivered and it was with poorly concealed impatience that he removed his cuff links and threw the shirt down on the ground, then placed his hands on her hips, sliding them up her short plaid skirt as he caught her gaze.

His almost transparent eyelashes provided an unhindered view on his depthless dark brown eyes that would turn to a liquid honey when the incidence of light from the standard lamp behind her lit them up. Currently his eyes were drinking her in with such a burning intensity that it sent an electrical surge through Belle's lower abdomen.

Her breathing hitched as he sat up and moved his hands to cup her bottom. The next moment she heard the zipper on the skirt's backside go down.

There was a poignant moment between them. Then Belle slowly rose from his lap and the skirt fell from her hips in a graceful puddle on the floor.

A smile formed on his lips as he took her hand and pulled her towards him. As Belle nestled on his lap she closed her eyes and relished in the feeling of his hands slipping underneath her silk blouse and moving up her waist and ribs. His hands left a trail of heated, tingling skin and Belle let out a soft, indistinct sound.

The corner of his mouth pulled up for the tiniest of moments in response and reaching her bra he unclasped it with such casualness as if he were making tea.

Lazily, almost teasingly, his fingers then wandered to the front, trailing the sensitive skin underneath the underwire as the tip of his tongue darted outside to wet his lips.

"Would you remove your blouse for me?" He asked softly as he rested his hands on her stomach, making her skin tingle under his touch.

Belle's eyes fluttered closed at the sensation and as she tried to ignore the lure of his soft voice deepened by his throaty accent she asked a little hoarsely, "Why? My shirt doesn't need changing like yours."

The corner of his mouth now definitely curled up in amusement as he let his eyes slowly trail down the row of offensive dark green buttons in front of him with raised eyebrows.

"I must be mistaken. I was under the impression we needed some warming up after that snowball fight. Oh, well."

With a regretful shrug he started to pull back his hands and Belle's eyes widened.

#

Rumplestiltskin found that his retreat was barred as she reached for the last button on her blouse. She kept her head bowed so he couldn't see her eyes but what he did see those damn white teeth chewing her bottom lip again and if she hadn't already stopped him from pulling back he would have done so himself.

And when the garment fell open to reveal her glorious porcelain skin and a tempting lose bra he reached up with a needy moan and pulled her in. His hands unceremoniously shoved her blouse down her pale shoulders and soft arms then got rid of the bra too. Finally, he was able to cup her bare breasts, holding and caressing them with soft touches as his mouth hungrily captured hers and parted her lips.

Another moan escaped him when she deepening the kiss and welcomed the feeling of his tongue greeting hers. For a moment he was overwhelmed by the flowery scent of Belle's hair cascading around his face and felt how she shivered under his touch.

Somewhere outside of him the fire cackled and the Christmas tree tinkled softly and he barely registered when another tinkling sound was added when his belt was being removed from his trousers.

What he did notice very clearly was the way Belle arched her back so that her breasts touched his chest. A shiver ran down his spine at the feeling and he took the hint. He leaned in and his lips trailed down her velvety skin until he reached the little buds that were her nipples.

#

Belle closed her eyes and relished in the feeling as he placed little kisses on each of her breasts while caressing them with his fingers and the tip of his nose. Because he worked so much with rough wool his hands were incredibly soft and to Belle the pads of his fingers were like drops of warm water trailing down her skin.

As he lavished her breasts with little kisses and caresses he avoided her taut nipples with painstaking care and kept circling around them in a maddening teasing manner.

Finally Belle couldn't take it anymore and arched her back offering him what he'd been ignoring.

A smile crept over his features at the desperate but insanely sensuous move and he brushed his thumbs over the little buds that had been craving his attention all this time. She let out a soft moan and spurred on he took her sensitive nipples into his mouth. Her response was heavenly.

Her whole body went taut as she pushed herself into his hold, demanding his full and unwavering attention.

Rumplestiltskin groaned softly and tightened his grip on her, giving her what she wanted as his tongue trailed along the darker skin of the little buds. The feeling of her soft skin under his mouth and hands, the strangled sound leaving her mouth as she subconsciously ground against him, it was enough to almost undo him and he groaned when she leaned in and kissed him fervently. She opened his mouth with her own and pushed her tongue past his lips with a passion that elicited another groan from him as he kissed her back, his hands burying in her hair to keep her in place.

Belle let her hands roam his body as they kissed and finally decided that her lips wanted to feel the touch of that smooth skin too. Slowly she pulled back, placing one last kiss on the corner of his mouth before she started to trail small, feathery kisses along his jawline and down his neck.

Her lips peppered him with tiny licks and kisses and he let his head fall back on the back of the sofa as he gave in to the overwhelmingly sweet sensation of her hands and lips on his body.

Belle's eyes softened when she saw him lean back in the cushions and she knew he'd completely put himself at her mercy. She poured all of the love and tenderness she felt for him in the touches of her lips as they trailed along the outline of his collarbones, down to his smooth chest and nipples. Lingering there she reveled in the little shivers, good ones this time, the feeling of her breath and then the touch of the tip of her tongue caused. Finally she trailed down his stomach, placing small, breathy kisses around his endearing belly button. A soft sigh escaped him and with a look up Belle slid from his lap and opened his trousers.

#

Rumplestiltskin's eyes flew open at the sound of his zipper going down.

The next moment he felt Belle's lips kissing along the waistband of his boxer shorts and he looked down, their eyes locking.

Belle pressed another kiss to his abdomen just below the waistband of his boxers and almost involuntarily he lifted his hips to help her get rid of the trousers and boxer shorts.

He saw that Belle's eyes darkened at the suggestive movement. She took a hold of his trousers and boxers and as she slowly slid them down his hips her fingers casually brushed along his length when she laid him bare from tip to root. A jolt of electricity shot through his core and he moaned her name.

He barely registered when his trousers joined his shirt on the ground but he did notice when Belle's brown winter tights followed and she stood before him in all her naked glory. For a moment he paused to drink in the stunning beauty of his wife. She was a goddess with her auburn curls cascading down her exquisite shoulders and her porcelain skin seemed to glow in the warm light of the embers in the heart behind her.

Times like this he still couldn't believe it when she looked at with eyes that told him that she wanted him and only him.

Reverently putting his hands on her hips he pulled her closer to him and pressed a tender kiss on her pubic curls. When she sighed in contentment one of his hands trailed from her hip to her center.

Belle was already wet with need and her eyes rolled back as soon as he touched the sensitive flesh. She shivered as his fingers began to wander along her folds, lovingly touched the small button they hid and ghosted past her entrance.

She couldn't help it. As a surge of electricity shot through her body her hips rocked into his hand.

A content smile appeared on Rumplestiltskin's features before he surprised her by going down on his knees before her.

Making sure he spared his ankle he leaned in and kissed the small button between her folds that begged for his attention. Tenderly he let his tongue trail the sensitive flesh from her entrance to the front and when his tongue flicked the small button Belle fisted his hair to keep from crying out.

He responded by adding more pressure to his caresses.

She began to tremble and her heart hammered in her chest when his tongue went past her entrance and caressed the hypersensitive flesh inside.

Belle moaned in agony and her hips rocked into him again.

"Please," she whispered through clenched teeth and with eyes that had grown dark with lust.

Rumplestiltskin gave her one last, teasing lick that had her trembling in his hands then looked up with eyes that burned with want.

"As you wish," he murmured and with a movement that was surprisingly graceful considering his predicament he lifted himself back on the sofa and pulled her in.

Belle didn't hesitate. Straddling him she nestled on his lap and sank down until her center came to rest against the head of him.

He sucked in his breath as her wet folds gently capped him and their gazes locked. His awareness shrunk back to the feverish look in her eyes holding his and the feeling of her warm wetness resting against him. She didn't move.

Reaching up he pulled her toward him to kiss her and just when she'd parted her lips for him he felt that she shifted slightly and brushed his tip with slow, deliberate strokes adding wetness to the velvety skin.

The explosion it caused in the pit of his stomach was too much to handle.

With a low growl deep in his throat he guided her down and relished in the smile in fulfillment that spread across her features as he buried himself deep inside her. Her head fell into her neck exposing the exquisite line of her throat, the gentle curves of her collarbones and the small breasts beneath them. He let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like a whimper and as he closed his eyes and bowed his head to rest against her stomach he relished in the blissful feeling when she lifted herself up and started to move at a pace that was deliciously unhurried.

Belle watched the crown of his head resting against her stomach as he let out a muffled groan and she smiled, losing herself in the feeling of having him inside of her, caressing her walls in the rhythm she set for them, guided by his hands.

In the hearth, a log gave way and as the fire flared up Rumplestiltskin pulled Belle even closer so that her breasts brushed his chest with the rhythmical movements.

The movement caused her center to be rubbed against his lower abdomen and Belle cried out into his shoulder as her walls clenched around Rumplestiltskin moving inside of her.

In response he let out an almost pained groan of pleasure and then suddenly pulled her off of him.

Through hazy eyes Belle looked at him and met with dark brown eyes that shone with need and something else. Possessiveness.

"On the hearthrug," he practically growled and a moment later she'd settled down on the antique Persian rug before the glowing fire and as the tip of his tongue shot out to wet his lips he lowered himself between her legs.

#

He moaned in pleasure when she met him halfway and guided him back in, taking him as deep as possible. Lifting her hips she encouraged him to start moving and it was all the incentive he needed. As he started to rock against her he circled his hips in a slow, sensuous way that made her gasp and hook her legs around his to draw him in even deeper.

He closed his eyes as he wished to stay in this delicious moment with their hips rising and falling in the slow rhythm he set, reveling in the feeling of her soft body resting below him, her warmth surrounding him and her clenching around him.

Setting a higher pace for them to move on he listened to her irregular breathing and caught her lips in a lingering kiss. He groaned when she put her hands on his hips, pulling him in with each of his thrusts, adding to his arousal.

Feeling that he couldn't postpone his climax much longer he reached down and caressed the small button between her folds that begged for more than only to be brushed by his smooth belly.

When he touched her Belle gasped in his mouth and her hips ground in his hand, begging for more. He clenched his jaw to hold himself back and kissed her deeply while guiding her to her climax with a gentle but unrelenting caress of her most sensitive spot.

Finally she pulled away his hand and their eyes locked as her walls clenched around him in a final drag on his length buried inside of her. The last of his restrain shattered to pieces and now there was no holding back anymore.

He let out a cry, which he muffled in her shoulder and shoved his hand underneath her lower back to lift her up to him. He growled as she pressed her center up against him as he let slip the gentle rhythm and allowed himself to lose himself completely inside her.

The last thing Belle consciously noticed as their harsh breaths became one was the infinite wonder she always saw in his warm, slightly sad brown eyes as a blissful shudder raked both their bodies and she fell to pieces while calling out his name.

He gave one, final thrust and then tumbled over the edge, his whole body shuddering in pure bliss as Belle's body welcomed his release.

Then he let himself sink back against her, panting heavily as he clutched her in his arms, never to let go.

He slowly softened inside her as Belle snuggled her head in the crook of his shoulder. An exquisite peacefulness descended upon him he cherished even more than the passion from before. To hold his Belle and feel her arms encircle him in return was something he was still deeply grateful for after all those times fate and his own insecurity had driven them apart. Never again would he allow for that to happen. He tightened his hold on her and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

It was reluctantly and apparently out of concern for his ankle that Belle eventually rolled on her back beside him. Propping herself up she began to trace nonsensical patterns in the sweat on his chest with her index finger that made him smile. His hand came up to play with her curls falling down on him.

"I think I have to revise my opinion on snowball fights," he murmured, his voice still hoarse. "Or more specifically, what comes afterwards."

A lovely smile appeared on Belle's features that accented her high cheekbones and glistening eyes. They momentarily closed when he trailed her cheekbone with his thumb.

"That's funny, because I think I'm going to stick to mine. I got exactly what I wanted," she said with that irresistible accent of hers.

"A husband with a sprained ankle?" He informed teasingly and she gave him a gentle prod in the ribs in reply.

In the distance the church bells of the convent started to ring and he realized that his reasons for dreading winter and snow lay in a past that was long gone and buried. The future however promised a much more loving take on the quiet season.

As it appeared he preferred snowballs to fireballs, after all.

* * *

**A/N:** _Forza requested fluffy Rumbelle Christmas smut and this story is the result. I hope this has warmed you up, indeed!_

_I would like to thank my wonderful beta Delintthedarkone on Tumblr._

_Thank you for reading!_


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